Hundreds of bus workers in Devon are set to suspend upcoming strike action after management tabled new pay proposals.

The strike action was due to start on Friday 13th October, Tuesday 17th October and Monday 30th October 2017 but has been suspended.

The RMT union has instructed its members to work as normal on those days.

After careful consideration and noting this development, the union’s National Executive Committee has decided to suspend the planned industrial action. The union will now conduct a referendum on the new proposals in the coming days.

This shows yet again what can be achieved when trade union members stand together. It is a tribute to our members that the union has been able to make Stagecoach South West come back to the table with an improved offer.

750 staff will be balloted to decide on the next course of action. Credit: ITV West Country

Union leaders are asking Stagecoach bus drivers in the South West to decide whether they should strike over pay.

RMT say the company's pay offer is below inflation and so is effectively a pay cut in real terms.

The union will ballot 750 staff in Exeter, Torquay and Barnstaple before deciding whether to strike.

Bus workers in the South West provide an essential service across a wide geographical area and they deserve a fair deal on pay.

– Mick Cash, RMT General Secretary

Stagecoach South West says it has worked closely with union representatives over several months to try to agree a pay deal.

We have done our utmost to present a series of offers that meet their expectations whilst also being affordable for the long-term sustainability of the region's bus network.

Following our most recent meeting, I was confident that we had made progress, particularly as I was advised the offers were to be put to members for their consideration.

However, I remain confident that, with open and honest dialogue and commitment on all sides to exploring all the options on the table, we will still be able to reach an agreement that is in everyone's best interests.

Talks are taking place this lunchtime between trade unions and management over the future of Western Greyhound bus drivers who lost their jobs.

The Cornish bus company collapsed on Friday - and while some drivers have been taken on by new companies - others are still facing an uncertain future. A number of other bus companies have temporarily stepped in to cover the routes.

Philip Bialyk, the RMT South West Regional Organiser, says the staff members feel let down.